TV Weekend: Bowled Over

It’s become a cliche to say that people now watch the Super Bowl for the ads. In my case it’s literally true, because I have to. I’ll be reviewing the ads again this year for time.com, and in order to file in time, I end up watching the game inside out: I TiVo it, watch the commercials, review them while the game is on, then fast-forward the game to get to the next commercial block. (I’ll also watch the halftime show, in case Tom Petty exposes himself.) You haven’t watched a football game until you’ve watched it entirely in fast-forward!

It’s a job, but I do love the commercials. Very few, I suspect, are worth the expenditure for the advertiser, but their very over-the-top wastefulness is part of what I love about them. They’re like ritual sacrifices for a secular holy day, burnt offerings to the gods of commerce on the plasma-screen altar, that they might show us favor in the year to come.

My reviews will go up separately on time.com Monday morning, but I’ll post a discussion thread here too. I encourage you to check them out. If you read them beginning to end in order, you can actually notice me getting progressively drunker!

By the way, the marathon Super Bowl session will probably wipe me out for a while and delay any Wire Watch on Monday. I know you’re brokenhearted.

I encourage you to warm up for the big game, by the way, by watching an all-new Friday Night Lights tonight. Enjoy your Super Sunday. Anyone out there watching the game for the game?